Zelensky calls on the Rada to support the completion of Khmelnytsky NPP
5 February 09:57
In his evening address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported the completion of new power units at the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant and asked the Verkhovna Rada to vote on the necessary bills, Komersant ukrainskyi reports
“I am grateful that the IAEA Director has supported the Ukrainian strategy of completing nuclear units at Khmelnytsky NPP. The completion project is the key to Ukraine’s energy independence and energy stability of the region, and it is important that the people’s deputies of Ukraine support this project,” the President said.
What the IAEA says
According to him, this would be a very interesting project, as there have been no examples of returning to the suspended construction of a nuclear power plant.
Grossi added that he is aware of Ukraine’s “great efforts and investments” in the completion of KhNPP units 3 and 4, as well as the country’s intention to use the reactor equipment that Bulgaria did not use at the Belene site.
“The internal situation of the country, although relevant and important, is not a decisive factor for us. Each country decides, in accordance with its own constitution and political situation, whether it is going to continue with something,” Grossi emphasized.
At the same time, the IAEA Director General emphasized that it is important for the international community to be convinced that there will be no security problems.
“And I repeat: we have begun to draw up what we call the terms of reference, that is, what we are going to look at,” Grossi added.
Two draft laws on KhNPP
As reported, the Energy Ministry and Energoatom have been trying to get the Verkhovna Rada’s approval for the purchase of Russian-made reactors from Bulgaria to complete two power units at Khmelnytsky NPP for six months.
There are two draft laws on KhNPP under consideration in the Parliament:
- draft Law No. 11392 provides for authorization to purchase reactors from Bulgaria for the third and fourth VVER-1000 power units. It should be adopted in the coming weeks;
- draft Law No. 11146 on the siting, design and construction of the third and fourth power units. It will be considered after the feasibility study is updated.
In January, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities completely changed the text of draft law No. 11392, which was adopted in the first reading, to allow Energoatom to buy Russian-made reactors from Bulgaria to complete the third and fourth power units at Khmelnytsky NPP.
For reference
Khmelnytsky NPP is located in the city of Netishyn, Khmelnytsky region. Khmelnytsky NPP has two VVER-1000 power units with a total capacity of 2000 MW (commissioned in 1987 and 2004).
KhNPP has two partially constructed VVER-1000 power units. In 2017, the then director general of KhNPP Mykola Panashchenko said that they wanted to complete them using a reactor unit from the Czech company Skoda JS.